Kohala Lighthouse Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s be straight up about the next couple of weeks. We’re looking at a pretty stubborn pattern for Kohala Lighthouse (Big Island). It’s a consistent, exposed reef break that normally takes a good swell, but the problem is the wind. For the vast majority of this 16-day run, we are stuck with a moderate to strong cross-shore breeze out of the ENE to E, which is going to keep things choppy and messy. There’s a real long stretch of poor conditions here.

The water temp is sitting at about 82°F with an anomaly of 1°F, so pretty much average for this time of year. Nothing special there.

Now, the first good news doesn’t show up for over a week. From now through to Monday the 23rd, it’s all a write-off – bumpy, cross-chop, and just not worth paddling out for. That’s a big gap of about 11 days with no recommendations.

Things finally get a little interesting around Tuesday the 22nd. That morning we start to see a pulse of energy coming through – combined swell energy jumps to 1215 (moderate to strong) with swell heights around 8 ft from the ENE, but the period is a short 9 seconds. The wind is still cross-shore, but it’s a moderate breeze, so it’s a bit cleaner than the gale-force stuff we’ve been seeing. It’s still a marginal call due to tide issues, though.

The real standout, and the only one worth circling on your calendar, is Wednesday the 23rd. Both morning and afternoon show a solid 8 ft swell from the east, with a period stretching out to 10 seconds. That’s a proper groundswell, which for this exposed reef should mean some nice lined-up walls. The combined energy peaks at 1444 and 1451 (strong). Even better, the wind drops to about 12 mph in the afternoon, still cross but much lighter. It’s still rated marginal due to tide, but honestly, this is the best shot we get. The swell direction is square out of the east, which isn’t the absolute optimum north, but it’ll wrap in fine.

After that, it’s back to the same messy story with strong cross-breezes and dropping swell into the 27th. A long period 12-second pulse shows up on the 27th, but with 22 mph cross-winds, it’s going to be blown out. That long period would be magic for the reef if it was clean, but it’s not.

So, my pick is clear: Wednesday the 23rd. Get on it early if you can handle an 8 ft reef break – that’s expert territory – or late afternoon for lighter winds. Don’t bother with the rest.

Rusty

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